Have you ever wondered what the starry sky looks like without light pollution? On September 22, on the occasion of the equinox offall, Combloux invites you to discover nocturnal beauty as part of the event The Night is Beautiful, which aims to raise awareness among the general public about the phenomenon of light pollution. His goal ? Change habits sustainably for a sustainable and more environmentally friendly future.
Combloux, a resort village committed to the ecological transition
Supported by the Flocon Vert label and its municipal commitments, Combloux has set itself the objective of minimize its impact on the environment.
Among the significant measures put in place to promote energy efficiency, our destination has been permanently switching off its public lighting since October 2022.
Be surprised, enrich yourself and make things happen!
Support the cause and become the guardians of the night in Combloux!
Together, let's learn again admire the celestial vault and protect our precious nocturnal heritage. Take part in this unforgettable experience and let yourself be amazed by the magic of the night in Combloux!
Light pollution threatens nighttime beauty. Let's come together to protect it!
Light and festive extinction of the village of Combloux
Discover the program!
La Nuit est Belle is a unique event, pioneering in Europe and on our precious blue planet. This cross-border initiative unprecedented, launched by Le Grand Genève, is committed with passion to enlightening the general public on the crucial issues of light pollution.
Our destination is proud to participate, for the first time, on September 22 in the fourth edition of the Geneva event The Night is Beautiful !
On the occasion of the 2023 edition of this unique event, Combloux is offering three original animations around light pollution.
Living to the Rhythm of Nature Conference
From 17:00 p.m. to 18:00 p.m.:
Conference and discussions around the role of night for Humans
- with Franck GOSSMAN fromAmrita Permaculture
- Meals included
- Meeting and conference location: forest sofa
- Price: 10 € / person
- Capacity: 25
Are you tempted by this time for discussion? Register without delay with the Combloux Tourist Office. The seats are limited.
Enjoy a sound bath surrounded by nature!
Discover the benefits of therapeutic sounds for your body and mind. Lying comfortably and covered, travel into a starry universe, carried by the sound of the instruments!
A unique relaxation and well-being experience awaits you.
From 19:15 p.m. to 20:15 p.m.:
Meditative and vibrating sound bath with Tibetan bowls, chimes and gongs.
- with Yaël Roche, certified sound therapy practitioner
- Meeting place: forest sofa
- Price: 10 € / person
- Capacity: 25
Don't miss this unique workshop! Register today at the Combloux Tourist Office.
Complete Pack: Conference, sound bath and bivouac
Looking for a unique and memorable experience to celebrate the fall equinox? On September 22, escape to the Combloux forest for an unforgettable bivouac.
From Friday September 22 14:00 p.m. to the next day 10:00 a.m.
Night bivouac in the Combloux forest
- open to adults and adolescents aged 12 and over
- maintained in bad weather
- with the Nature Club “Roots and Butterflies”
- Meeting place: forest sofa
- Price: 35€ / person for the complete pack
Don't miss this exceptional opportunity to admire the stars while mobilizing to preserve the beauty of the night sky.
The bivouac program includes:
- une friendly meeting around the fire to start the evening in style,
- la construction of a makeshift shelter using wood and branches.
- une night in total immersion in the forest,
- un Breakfast prepare on the fire Saturday morning.
Further details can be found in the brochure below.
Prices and registrations
The price of the bivouac also includes participation in the sound bath and the conference.
Interested in this exceptional workshop? Register quickly at the Combloux Tourist Office before September 21. Places are limited, don't delay!
Dates, times, online ticketing…
Practical information for attending the Nuit est Belle in Combloux
The “La Nuit est Belle” event in Combloux is an unmissable experience, whether you are passionate about nature, astronomy, a fervent defender of the environment, or simply eager for discoveries of all kinds.
Observing the night sky at the autumnal equinox
On the night of September 22 to 23, 2023 – at 8:50 a.m. on September 23 to be precise – we will celebrate the arrival of theautumn equinox. This magical moment gives us a perfect equivalence of 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of nighttime darkness.
The autumnal equinox marks the arrival offall and opens the doors to a exceptional starry sky. This opportunity is simply unmissable, for the following reasons:
Day-night balance
During the autumnal equinox, the length of day is almost equal to that of night. This means that periods of darkness are ideal for observing the starry sky, as they are longer than usual in summer.
Weather conditions
At this time of year, the air can be cooler and drier, which often means less atmospheric turbulence and better visibility for amateur astronomers. This allows for sharper, more detailed images of celestial objects.
Autumn constellations
Many constellations characteristic of autumn, such as Pegasus, Andromeda and Cassiopeia, become visible at this time of year. These constellations offer a large number of interesting celestial objects to observe, such as stars, star clusters and galaxies.
Visible planets
The autumnal equinox can also provide excellent opportunities to observe certain planets in the solar system (notably Saturn and Jupiter which will be close to Uranus and the Pleiades), which can be particularly bright and visible to the naked eye or through a telescope.
How to attend our workshops on light pollution?
Ready to get involved in preserving the splendor of the night? This September 22, don't miss the exceptional chance to fully immerse yourself in the magic of the night in the heart of the Alps!
La Nuit est Belle in Combloux offers you three irresistible choices:
- The conference at only €10, for 1 hour of enriching discussions
- The sound bath, also €10, for a unique sensory experience
- Opt for the complete “La Nuit est Belle” pack for €35 to take advantage of the two aforementioned options as well as a bivouac in the middle of nature.
Meeting place
Our workshops will take place in the heart of the forest, on the granite trail, in a most welcoming setting: the forest sofa, a granite seat that offers a unique meeting space. This warm and friendly atmosphere will be the perfect place for our discussions.
The Night is Beautiful in Combloux!
An event that illuminates consciences and awakens the starry night
Light pollution in two words
As mentioned from the outset, under the sparkling celestial mantle, a major challenge awaits us: light pollution. Mainly caused by excess artificial lighting, this phenomenon disrupts biodiversity, alters ecosystems, threatens health, and wastes energy.
In this context of ecological transition, the theme of the 2023 edition of Nuit est Belle, focused on “humans, the night”, resonates deeply with current issues that transcend borders.
Night, the Human: Theme of the 2023 edition of Night is Beautiful
Imagine for a moment: a celestial vault where each star shines brightly, where the Milky Way traces a river of light through the darkness, and where the constellations are revealed in all their splendor. Observing the sky reminds us how big the universe is and our place within this vast cosmos.
The 2023 edition of “La Nuit est Belle” will highlight theimportance of night for humans. This year, this cross-border initiative to combat light pollution will focus on two essential subjects:
- guarantee nighttime safety by prioritizing visibility,
- raise public awareness of the importance of chronobiology in maintaining optimal health.
With Nuit est Belle, Combloux is committed to the environment!
Proudly displaying the Flocon Vert label and resolutely oriented towards a sustainable future, our destination is taking a stand in the fight against light pollution.
Already committed to an energy sobriety approach with the general switching off of public lighting at 23 p.m., our village-resort becomes the first municipality in the Pays du Mont-Blanc to participate in this committed event La Nuit est Belle.
Our support for this committed event will help to temporarily reduce light pollution in our beautiful region at the foot of the roof of Europe!
Observing the night sky at the autumnal equinox
On the night of September 22 to 23, 2023, we will celebrate the arrival of the autumnal equinox, precisely at 8:50 a.m. on September 23. This magical moment gives us a perfect equivalence of 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of nighttime darkness.
The autumn equinox, a true jewel of the astronomical calendar, marks the beginning of autumn and opens the doors to an exceptional starry sky. This opportunity is simply unmissable, for the following reasons:
Day-night balance
During the autumnal equinox, the length of day is almost equal to that of night. This means that periods of darkness are ideal for observing the starry sky, as they are longer than usual in summer.
Weather conditions
At this time of year, the air can be cooler and drier, which often means less atmospheric turbulence and better visibility for amateur astronomers. This allows for sharper, more detailed images of celestial objects.
Autumn constellations
Many constellations characteristic of autumn, such as Pegasus, Andromeda and Cassiopeia, become visible at this time of year. These constellations offer a large number of interesting celestial objects to observe, such as stars, star clusters and galaxies.
Visible planets
The autumnal equinox can also provide excellent opportunities to observe certain planets in the solar system (notably Saturn and Jupiter which will be close to Uranus and the Pleiades), which can be particularly bright and visible to the naked eye or through a telescope.
When it's dark, there is hope! General call to turn off the lights
Whether or not you participate in the workshops organized as part of Nuit est Belle, everyone is invited to join the cause and become guardians of the night, defenders of its splendor.
“The “La Nuit est Belle!” event encourages not only municipalities, but also residents, merchants and businesses to turn off their lights for one night.
Our goal is clear: significantly reduce energy consumption and the impact of light pollution, while raising awareness of these current challenges, both young and old.
Join us in this noble purpose!
Who are the organizers of Nuit est Belle?
Since 2019, Greater Geneva, the Geneva Natural History Museum, the Geneva Astronomical Society and the Maison du Salève have co-organized the “La nuit est belle” event.
This initiative was born in January 2018 from a meeting which took place on the sidelines of the European Energy Transition Conference, a general public event around the ecological transition.
It was on this occasion that:
- Pascal Moeschler: Curator at the Geneva Natural History Museum and Head of Swiss coordination center for the study and protection of bats
- and Eric Achkar: President of the Astronomical Society of Geneva
decided to collaborate to raise public awareness about light pollution. With this in mind, the two friends then asked the organizers of the “corridors of the night” to expand the conferences organized as part of this family exhibition to raise awareness of light pollution (which is also available in a traveling format).
History of the event and its genesis
In view of the renewed interest of populations on the questions of the preservation of biodiversity and ecological transition, the leading quartet of Nuit est Belle challenged the 209 municipalities of the territory to turn off their public lighting for a night.
This initiative was welcomed by the elected officials of Greater Geneva and quickly followed by the municipalities. The exhibition “The corridors of the night”, designed in partnership by the Maison du Salève, the State of Geneva (OCAN) and the Syndicat intercommunal du Vuache, played an important role in this initiative to raise awareness of light pollution in within the framework of the Champagne-Genevois biological corridors contract 2012-2017.
Raising awareness about light pollution: light at the end of the tunnel
In a world where light signals solicit us from all sides, it can be complex to imagine how high the environmental footprint of stray lights is.
However, as previously mentioned, pollution of the night sky has negative repercussions in many areas!
Because every action counts, we have put together aseries of resources to deepen your understanding of the subject and discover the best practices to adopt in order to reduce, on your scale, the impact of your light footprint on the environment.
- The file from the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion: Light pollution
- Discover the plurality of issues relating to the quality of the night throughANPCEN: National Association for the Protection of the Sky and the Night Environment
- The notre-planete.info file: Photopollution
- For English speakers: discover the awareness, defense and conservation actions for the night sky initiated by DarkSky International
Other highlights to discover in Combloux
Here is a selection of emblematic events not to be missed in our 4-season village!
